Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (HSKD) is another ‘Dharma Productions’ romantic comedy. What can audiences expect then? Boy and girl meet, fall in love, but authoritarian parents don’t let them be together. However, eventually they get married – big fat Indian wedding style!

Along the way, you would expect some romantic songs and comic scenes to lighten the mood. So what makes Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania definitely worth your time and money to watch despite being so predictable?

The film exactly follows that storyline. ‘Humpty’ Sharma (played by Varun Dhawan) is a carefree, young Delhi boy, who falls in love with Kavya Pratap Singh (played by Alia Bhatt), a vibrant girl from Ambala. HSKD goes through their crazy and heart-warming love story where Humpty faces many challenges to make Kavya his ‘dulhania’.

The performances in this film are delightful. Watching Varun Dhawan on screen is like eating a slice of red velvet cake – a sweet treat! In each scene, he wins you over as ‘Humpty’ from his mischievous charm to his comic timing.

As for Alia Bhatt, this is her 3rd stellar performance of this year, where she impresses the audience with another varied performance. She makes the transition from a Tamilian (in 2 States, 2014) to a Punjabi (in HSKD) effortlessly.

There was a fear that Alia may play the role of Kavya Singh too superficial but she ends up playing the role naturally. At times though, her dialogue delivery does end up too fast and exaggerated.

HUMPTY SHARMA KI DHULANIA

Story

The backbone of the story does not have anything new to offer but its moments are entertaining.

Shashank Kaitan makes a sparkling debut with attention to detail paid to the script.

Production

The scenes shot in Ambala display a vibrant backdrop whereas Delhi, the dominant setting in the first half, is not shown in the same spirit.

Music

The soundtrack is beautifully composed and its picturisation does justice to some wonderful songs!

REVIEW SCORE

Whilst HSKD is no DDLJ, its vibrancy and the adorable chemistry between the lead pair makes it worth a watch! Review Scores by Sonika Sethi.

ONE TO WATCH

What shines through the greatest in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is the adorable chemistry between the lead pair. We did not see much of this when they were previously paired together in Student of the Year (2012). However, HSKD makes you want Kavya to be Humpty’s dulhania.

Their natural and effortless chemistry just oozes through to the audience, particularly in the picturisation of ‘Samjhawan’. Moreover, this is conveyed more through the ease of their body language and playful banter than their love-making scene.

Siddharth Shukla, of Balika Vadhu fame, makes his debut in this film – well, nearly. You hardly get to see much of him in the film as he probably only gets about a tenth of screen time in the film, if you include one song. Probably beer and cold coffee gets greater footage than he does.

Siddharth fits the role of Angad, a perfect NRI bachelor, so it is a shame the audience were unable to see more of him.

The supporting cast is superb. Special mentions go out to Ashutosh Rana, who plays Kavya’s father, and of course, Humpty’s friends played by Sahil Vaid (Poplu) and Gaurav Pandey (Shonty). They season the film with their witty lines and funny performances.

Debutant director, Shashank Kaitan, has directed and written the film well. With the story being so stereotypical, it is the light-hearted moments throughout that were paramount in keeping the audience engaged.

The music of HSKD is pretty fabulous. The melodious ‘Samjhawan’ and upbeat ‘Saturday Saturday’ are already chart toppers. Both of the versions of ‘Samjhawan’, including the unplugged version sang by Alia Bhatt, are worth all of the praise that they have garnered.

However, tracks like ‘Daigand Daigand’ will probably completely forgotten by the audience once they leave the cinema hall. There are some songs that linger with you after the film ends but only some.

The film has colourfully depicted the hinterland of North India. This is a refreshing change from most Dharma production films, which tend to transport the audience to foreign settings rather than showcase the beauty of India.

The costumes are vibrant and every lehenga that Kavya wears seems stylish. May this be the ‘Kareena Kapoor wala designer lehenga’ or the local one? It leaves the audience wondering what was wrong with the local one that she wanted to spend so much to get a designer one!

Nonetheless, Alia Bhatt’s ‘desi avatar’ really suits her. Whilst Varun may not look his best, his styling does, to some extent, transform him from a Bollywood hottie to a normal ‘Delhi ka launda’.

Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania is meant to be a modern tribute to the all-time classic, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. HSKD may not the next DDLJ but will be remembered as one of the cutest romcoms to come out in recent times.

Sonika is a full-time medical student, Bollywood enthusiast and lover of life. Her passions are dancing, travelling, radio presenting, writing, fashion and socialising! “Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths taken but by moments that take our breath away.”